Steering arrangements for articulated vehicles, particularly articulated tracked vehicles, comprising a front vehicle unit and a rear vehicle unit steerably interconnected by means of the steering device are known. The front and rear vehicle units are interconnected over a link mechanism of the steering device comprising link shafts about which both vehicle units are mutually pivotable by means of hydraulic cylinders.
WO 00/35735 discloses a steering device for an articulated vehicle being configured in such a way that the vehicle units firstly may rotate mutually about a longitudinal, horizontal shaft, secondly turn mutually about two parallel, transversal horizontal shafts, and thirdly obtain an improved steering geometry with the vertical steering link situated centrally between the vehicle units.
Articulated vehicles with such steering devices comprises a driveline for operation of front and rear vehicle units, wherein the driveline is arranged to run from the front to the rear vehicle units in connection to the steering device/through the steering device for drive of the rear vehicle unit. Further, according to a variant of such steering devices, electricity, fuel, brake fluid and fluid for air-conditioning device are arranged to be transferred in conduits between the vehicle units in connection to/through the steering device.
Due to the fact that the steering device is exposed between the vehicle units it constitutes a weak point of the articulated vehicle. A problem with such a steering device is consequently that it is subjected to external impact, e.g. effective fire in a war situation, such that e.g. the steering of the vehicle or other sensitive function such as braking, drive function, electricity is put out of operation.